The Motor Industry Code of Practice for Service and Repair aims to promote and safeguard consumers' interests by helping them identify better businesses and encouraging businesses to raise their standards of customer service.
A Code Subscriber can have the confidence that they:
Although the Code may require responsible businesses to amend some of their current business processes, compliance with the Code should not place any significant burden upon subscribers.
No, the Code is a voluntary Code and there is no legal requirement for garages to sign up to it. However, a self regulatory Code offers many benefits for Consumers and Subscribers. It is in the sectors' own interest that the Code is a success, otherwise legislation may be introduced, following a super complaint, to regulate the sector.
Section 11 of the Enterprise Act enables consumer bodies designated by the Secretary of State to submit “super-complaints” to the Office of Fair Trading where they consider there is any market feature, or combination of features, such as the structure of a market or the conduct of those operating within it, that is or appears to be significantly harming the interests of consumers. Designated Super Complainants include The National Consumer Council, Citizens Advice Bureau and The Consumers' Association.
Consumer Focus (previously the National Consumer Council) are very supportive of the Code and are pleased with the commitment made by the franchised sector to the Code, but consider that the Independent sector needs to do more to support the Code.
The Code is monitored by the Independent Compliance Assessment Panel (ICAP) who in turn are monitored by the Office of Fair Trading. ICAP use information from the consumer survey, compliance visits and consumer enquiries/complaints to monitor the effectiveness of the Code and individual subscribers’ performance.
This includes providing quarterly reports and an annual report to the OFT and determining what, if any penalties, or sanctions should be taken against Subscribers who fail to correct a breach or who are seen to be in persistent, or serious breach of the Code. ICAP is independent of the sector.
Any garage servicing or repairing cars and/or light and medium commercial vehicles can sign up to the Code, providing that they agree to comply with the Code and the Terms and Conditions for Subscribers
The Code only covers vehicles that are not used in the course of the consumer's trade, business or profession. It is a consumer code (B2C) developed to address a concern regarding consumer detriment. B2B arrangements are covered by their own terms and conditions.
Body repairs and body repairers are not covered by the Code.
Motor cycle servicing and repair is covered by the Motor Cycle Industry Association Code of Practice.
To sign up to the Code you need to complete the online registration process, click on Register today, then follow the on screen instructions.
We are currently working with the OFT and our service providers to allow mobile mechanics to sign up to the Code. If you are a mobile mechanic and are interested in signing up to the Code, contact us to register your interest.
If you would like to sign up multiple garages to the Code, please contact us to find out more information.
If you are a dealer group with multiple franchised dealers and/or authorised repairers across numerous locations you need to ensure that you register each site as a separate subscriber.
Yes, just select 'multi-site' at the start of the registration process to add multiple brands to your site. Or once you have registered just go to 'Franchise Details' to edit, add or delete a brand from your subscriber account.
We've prepared a marketing pack to help you utilise your Code subscription to promote your business. It show's you how to utilise your Code subscription in advertising, on websites, stationery etc. All free of charge. Subscribers can also order signs, window clings and vehicle stickers from the Code Shop to prominently let your customers know that you're signed up.
If you want to look to gain additional work, why not make sure you've utilised your entry on the Service and Repair Code Garage Finder? To make use of your profile sign in to the subscriber area where you add pictures and text to promote your business to the growing number of consumers who are using the Garage Finder to find a garage in their local area.
The Code launched to consumers on 26th August 2008.
If you subscribed prior to the consumer launch of the Code your subscription started on the 26th August 2008 - the consumer launch of the Code - and will run for 12 months. If you subscribed after 26th August your subscription runs for 12 months from the day you subscribed.
We will announce details of how the renewal process works well in advance of the first renewal date.
The Welcome Visit aims to help new Subscribers by checking that they have all of the required procedures in place to comply with the Code. It also provides you with an opportunity to ask any questions about the compliance check and about complying with the Code.
You can choose whether or not to receive a Welcome Visit during registration. If you opt to receive a Welcome Visit the Compliance Checker will contact with you within 3 months of your subscription to the Code to arrange a date and time for the visit.
A Compliance Check aims to ensure that you are continuing to meet the standards required by the Code. The Compliance Check will take place within 24 months of either your date of registration, date of your Welcome Visit, or your previous Compliance Check. Unlike your Welcome Visit, Compliance Checks are unannounced, compulsory and you are required to pay the Compliance Check fee (See Costs )
The basic annual subscription cost is £75 + VAT per annum. However there are additional charges payable for compliance checks and copies of the Code and Brief Guide. Fees are also payable for each Conciliation and Arbitration. A full breakdown of the costs payable by Subscribers is set out in the Costs section.
Subscribers' annual costs will therefore depend upon the number of Conciliation and Arbitration cases generated. It is therefore in your own interest to fully comply with the Code. The more satisfied your customers are, the less it will cost you to subscribe to the Code.
The Starter Pack includes your Certificate of Registration, to be displayed in your customer service area, a leaflet dispenser for the Brief Guide and copies of the Code and Brief Guide.
Guidance is available from the Subscriber Area of the website and from the Subscribers Manual and the Code.
Consumers can use the Garage finder to locate subscribers to the Code.
Consumers can visit the consumer area of this website to find out more information about the Code.
Copies of the Brief Guide must be clearly displayed within the customer area of your premises and must be freely available for consumers to take away with them.
The Brief Guide is a leaflet companion to the Code. It contains basic information on the Code, the Consumer Advice Line and Conciliation and Arbitration. It also provides consumers with a pre-contractual information check list and the Consumer Survey.
The Consumer Survey aims to record consumer feedback and opinion on their service and repair experience at subscribing garages. Consumers can either complete the survey tearoff in the brief guide or can complete the survey online.
The feedback received from consumer surveys provides Motor Codes with information to help us monitor subscriber performance.
Susbscribers can view the results of all completed consumers surveys in the subscriber area. Just log in to your account to view your results. This is a valuable and useful free tool to help you find out what your customers think of your work.
The member of staff to whom the complaint is made should attempt to resolve it. If they are unable to do so, the member of staff should escalate the complaint to the Customer Relations Representative, who has been nominated at the Subscription stage.
The Customer Relations Representative should aim to resolve the complaint as quickly as possible, to the satisfaction of the consumer.
Consumers can call the Consumer Advice Line (CAL) free on 0800 692 0825.
Consumers can call CAL for general enquiries, seek advice about the service they have received from a Subscriber or to register a complaint. CAL will assess the enquiry/complaint and provide appropriate advice and assistance.
Alternatively consumers can submit an enquiry and/or complaint online.
Where consumers contacting the Consumer Advice Line have registered a complaint and their vehicle is still with a Subscriber, CAL can contact the Subscriber under the Fast Track process in order to resolve a complaint swiftly, without resorting to written Conciliation.
Conciliation is a dispute resolution process which, under the Code, aims to resolve disputes between a consumer and subscriber. The Code Advisory and Conciliation Service will investigate a consumer complaint and assess whether there has been any breach of the Code. The Code Advisory and Conciliation Service aim to resolve complaints to the satisfaction of both parties and in a speedy fashion with as little disruption to the consumer as possible.
If a case remains unresolved or there is a difference of opinion that cannot be satisfactorily addressed through conciliation, the case can be referred to independent arbitration.
The result of an arbitration hearing will be the conclusion of a case and legally binding on both parties, the results of which will be assessed to determine whether any Code compliance issues have been raised and to consider if any Code amendments are required to address any specific problems.
Arbitration is legally binding, and there are only limited circumstances where a case already considered under the terms of the Arbitration Act can then proceed to court.
Subscribers can find further information, advice and guidance in the Subscriber Help section of the Subscriber Area.
To recover a lost or forgotten password go to the login screen and click on forgotten password. Your username is the email address, of the main contact for your garage, typically the email of the person who registered the garage.
Motor Industry Codes of Practice have the full support of:
